janney



E'. H. JANNEY.

Car Coupling.

Patented April 21, 18m

@einen fates genet ffice;

Lata-s Patent Nq. 17,046, ma April 21, 186s.

IMPROVED GAR-GOUPIJNG.

@its Silente referat tu in that itttt @that mit .making met it its anni.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, ELI H. JANNEY, of the city of Alexandria, county of Alexandria, and in the State ot' Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railroad-Car Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, making part of this specification, in which- .Figure 1 represents a side elevation of s. part of the front and rear end of two railroad-ears, partly show n in section in order' to expose to view interior parts.

.Figure 2 is a top view of part of the rear end of la railroad-car.

Figure 3 is a side view of part of the coupling-device.

The same letters of reference in all the figures denote identicall parts.

My invention consists in constructing an automaticallyworking' earcoupling,`in such a manner that the coupling and uneoupling are performed without endangering the operators life by going between the cars.- Thelink intended to couple two cars together is placed and kept in' an inclined position, resting its lower end against the oscillating-catch, leaning its upper-lend on a support attached for that purpose to the platform of tho car. i

When the coupling is to take place, the shock of the two cars, when running against each other, will force the link forward, and it'will fall orer the oscillating-catch of the other car, and both carsare coupled together;

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation. i I

A is a part of the front end of one car, and A is a part of the rear end of an adjacent car. B is thedrawhead, resting in a bumper, C, firmly attached to the under side of the platform ortruck. A coiled spring, C', keeps lthe draw-lxead in its place, and allows it to move forward and backward under the force to which it is subjected.

D is a latch, turning on a pivot xed to the sides of the draw-head at D. As the part of the latch towards the inner side of the draw-head is heavier than the other part, which tapers olf and nearly touches the oscillatingcatch E, the latch D will occupy a horizontal pot-io'n, and the lip E, of the oseillating-catch'E, will keep it in place. A v

E is an oscillating-catalaplaced at themouth of the draw-head in a vertical position. '.lh upper part or neck is, at its inner sidenprovided with a depression, in which the link is engaged., Immediately above it is' the projection or lip E, against which the latch D rests. The pressure from above of the link will force the en d of the latch down, and permit the link to drop and occupy a horizontal position, ass-shown in Jig. 1.

- The latch, liberated from thc downward pressure, will again' assume itsdh'orizontal position, and prevent the link from disengaging itself by rising upwards. The oscillating-catch E has, at its innerA side, and near its lower end, *a 'shouldcr, E", on which `the' movable bar F rests. The lower edges of catch E are rounded, in order to facilitate its turning on pivot E'.

The bar F is-aetuated by lever I, and maybe moved backward from the position shown in fig. 1, (in which it holds the catch E in a vertical positicm) soasto allow the catch E to turn on pivot E', as shown in iig. 3.

Themovable bar F is drawn from the shoulder of catch E when the cars are to be uncoupled. The strain of the link on the neck of the catch E will force it forward, as shown in iig, 3, and Vthe link will be disengaged and the uncoupling is effected. I is a lever, which actuates. the bar F. Fig. 1 shows the lever in the-inclined position ithas when not worked. 'In such position it4 will be kept by the spiral spring I', attached te the cutsde of draw-head B, and there keep the lever over Athe shoulder of the catch E. G is a link, of' ordinary construction. H is a support or rest, to keep the link in an inclined position. It may be made of strong wire, er other suitable material, hinged te the upper face of the platform, said wire H having a shape somewhat analogous to a W, as shown in iig. 2.

When inA use,' it is thrown forward, as shown in black lines in iig. 2, and when not used it is thrown backword on the platform, resting in a recess made for that purpose, ne shown in redines in' iig. 2, in order tlxt it may not be a. hindrance to people passing ove it. l l

. If found inconvenient, or lnot practicehithe rest H might be dispensed with, and the link, while standing on its end, might be accommodated in vertical grooves A", out in the platform itself, as shown in fig. 2 in red lines. i I propose to have the port of the platform over the coupling out ont und hinged to the platform, as shown in figs. 1 und 2 ini red lines. The strain of the link G on the catches E does not prevent or hinder the uncoupling. ,The manner in which he link is disengaged from the catches E is shown in red linen inlig. 3.

I do not confine myself to the precise mode oi construction herein described, ne the some may be varied more or less; but

What I claim, und desire to secure by Letters Potent, ie

1. The combinntion of the oscillotingfcntch E, mounted upon o. pivot, E', in the mouth of' o draw-head, B, the movable bar F, lever I, and latch D, when constructed `und arranged substantially as and for the purpose set forth. y

2. The support or rest H, when used ns und. for tlm purpose eet forth.'

ELI H. JANNEY. Witnesses:

J'. M. HAM,

A. H. SLeYMAKnn. 

